Synopses & Reviews
Enhance your understanding of the federal bureaucracy with POLITICS AND THE BUREAUCRACY! With a focus on bureaucracy as a political institution, this political science text equips you with the tools you need to succeed in this course. Coverage includes topics such as administrative ethics, political control of the bureaucracy, public choice models of bureaucratic politics, and state and local bureaucracies. Examples and case studies clarify difficult concepts and reflect current political debates and their impact on federal agencies.
Synopsis
This best-selling textbook is unique because of its focus on the political side of bureaucracy. Presenting bureaucracy as a political institution, this book covers the controls on bureaucracy and how bureaucracy makes policy. It is known for its current survey of the political science literature and interesting topical examples and case studies.
About the Author
Kenneth J. Meier is the Charles Puryear Professor of Liberal Arts, Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University and director of the Project on Equity, Representation and Governance and the Carlos H. Cantu Hispanic Education and Opportunity Endowment. He is also a Professor of Public Management in the Cardiff School of Business, Cardiff University (Wales).Widely published, he is considered one of the leading innovators in quantitative methods for public administration. He is a former editor of the American Journal of Political Science (1994-7), a former associate editor of the Journal of Politics (1991-4), and currently associate editor of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. His research has won the Clarence Kulp Award, the Herbert Kaufman Award (twice), the Gustavus Myers Award (twice), the Herbert Simon Award, the Joseph Wholey Award, the Texas A&M Distinguished Research Award, American Society for Public Administration/National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration Distinguished Research Award and best article/paper awards from the Academy of Management and the Policy Studies Organization. He has served as the president of the Southwest Political Science Association and president of the American Political Science Associations sections on State Politics and Policy, Public Policy, and Public Administration. He is currently the president of the Public Management Research Association and the Midwest Political Science Association. The author of 20 books and over 150 articles and book chapters. Meier has also served on the faculties of Rice University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.John Bohte is currently Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin ? Milwaukee. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Texas A&M University. Dr. Bohte has published articles in Public Administration Review and a variety of other public administration and political science journals. Dr. Bohte enjoys teaching courses on public budgeting and finance, research methods and statistics, and public administration.
Table of Contents
1. BUREAUCRACY AND POLITICS. Bureaucracy: A Favorite Target. Criticism and Rhetoric. Efficiency: An Untested Hypothesis. Is Efficiency a Goal? Administrative Power as Political Power. Case 1: Federal Housing. Case 2: The Cuban Missile Crisis. Case 3: The National Health Service Corps. Case 4: The Federal Trade Commission. Administrative Power: A Difficult Term. Summary. 2. THE STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN BUREAUCRACY. The Organization of the Federal Government. Departments. Independent Agencies. The Government Corporation. The Advisory Committee. Minor Boards, Committees, and Commissions. The Political Bureaus of the President and Congress. The Size of the Bureaucracy. Budgetary Growth. The Federal Personnel System. The Career Civil Service. The Senior Executive Service. The Separate Merit Systems. The Excepted Service. The Executive Schedule. Dismissals. State and Local Bureaucracies. Implementation Networks. Summary. 3. BUREAUCRATIC POWER AND ITS CAUSES. A Framework for the Study of Bureaus. Why Bureaucracy Is a Policymaking Institution. The Nature of American Politics. The Organization of Government. Task Demands. The Nature of Bureaucracy's Function. Sources of Bureau Power. External Sources of Bureaucratic Power: Political Support. Internal Sources of Bureau Power. Summary. 4. BUREAUCRACY AND PUBLIC POLICY. Regulatory Policy. The Scope of Regulatory Policy. Regulatory Bureau Policymaking. The Structure of Regulatory Agencies. The Environment of Regulatory Agencies. Redistributive Policy. The Scope of Redistributive Policy. The Structure of Redistributive Bureaus. Redistributive Bureau Policymaking. The Environment of Redistributive Agencies. Distributive Policy. The Scope of Distributive Policy. The Structure of Distributive Bureaus. Distributive Bureau Policymaking. The Environment of Distributive Agencies. Constituent Policy. The Scope of Constituent Policy. The Structure of Constituent Policy. Constituent Bureau Policymaking. The Environment of Constituent Policy Bureaus. Summary. 5. BUREAUCRACY AND THE PUBLIC'S EXPECTATIONS. Two Standards for Bureaucracy. Responsiveness I: Political Institutions, the Public, Law. Responsiveness II: Flexibility. Responsiveness III: Ethics. Responsiveness IV: Fair and Impartial. Competence I: Effectiveness. Competence II: Timeliness. Competence III: Efficiency. Competence IV: Reliability. Whose Fault Is It?. The Problem of Political Executives. Summary. 6. CONTROLLING THE BUREAUCRACY. Overhead Democracy. Legislative Controls on Bureaucratic Power. Legislation. Budgeting. Legislative Veto and Consultations. Oversight. Informal Contacts. Congressional Controls: Summary. Judicial Controls on Bureaucratic Power. Court Impact. Limits on Courts. Presidential Controls on Bureaucratic Power. Organizational Powers. Budget Powers. The Powers of Commander-in-Chief. Leadership. Restraints on Presidential Controls. Federalism as a Check on Bureaucracy. State Agencies as a Check on Federal Agencies. Federal Checks on State Bureaucracies. Federalism as a Check. The Ombudsman. Direct Democratic Control: Noncompliance. Summary. 7. CONTROLLING BUREAUCRACY. The Administrative Platonist. The Fellowship of Science. The New Public Administration. Representative Bureaucracy . Participative Administration. Individual-Group Linkage. Group-Administrative Elite Linkage. Public Choice. Summary. 8. REFORMING THE BUREAUCRACY. How Much Control Is Needed?. The Performance of American Bureaucracy. Redundancy: The Impact of Duplication. Strengthening Political Institutions. The President. Congress. The Courts. Interest Groups. Creating a Better Merit System. Reform Entrance Procedures and Educational Training. Raise the Prestige of the Civil Service. Increased Executive Mobility. Awakening the American People. Increase Public Awareness of Politics and Participation. Increase Public Awareness of Bureau Policy making. Eliminate the Stereotypes of Bureaucracy. End Passive Acceptance of Delay. Lower People's Expectations of Government. A Hobson's Choice. Bibliography. Index.